Dowden says ‘our door always open’ to striking unions December 18, 2022 A senior minister has insisted that “our door is always open” to union bosses, despite refusing to engage in pay negotiations with striking nurses. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said today that “we’re always willing to talk” with the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), but that its 19 per cent pay increase demand is “not [...]
Workers at Rolls-Royce car plant receive pay increase after strike threat December 16, 2022 Workers at one of Rolls-Royce’s automotive plants have received a pay increase of up to 17.6 per cent following the threat of strikes. Staff at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex will receive a salary hike of 10 per cent plus a £2,000 lump sum. This means an increase of 16 per cent for the [...]
What a year it’s been in crypto December 16, 2022 Jason Deane takes a look back over the year in crypto.
UK consumer confidence rises but forecasts remain bleak  December 16, 2022 Consumer confidence in the UK improved by two points this month, but still remains near all-time low levels.
November sales down as online retail flops despite Black Friday December 16, 2022 Sales have slumped this November as Black Friday didn’t give online stores the boost it needed. Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that retail sales volume contracted by 0.4 per cent following a 0.9 per cent rise in October. Online shops were hit the most as non-store retailing sales volumes [...]
Bank of England sends interest rates to 14-year high but slows hike cycle to 50 points December 15, 2022 The Bank of England today sent interest rates to their highest level since October 2008, although it slowed the pace of increases to avoid unnecessarily intensifying a looming recession by squeezing households and businesses’ finances. Threadneedle Street’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of a 50 basis point rise to 3.5 per cent, [...]
No10 confirms strike-busting bill paused as ministers look to broaden scope December 15, 2022 No10 has confirmed that its bill on guaranteeing minimum service levels during strike days is being paused as ministers look to broaden its scope. “Essentially we’ve paused that bill and are looking at adding additional measures to it to widen its scope,” said the Prime Minister’s spokesperson. “We haven’t set out exactly the scope of [...]
Biffa reverses losses as it pushes price rises onto customers December 15, 2022 Bin company Biffa has reversed its losses and grown its revenue by nearly a quarter in the past six months after increasing its prices. Group revenue is up 23 per cent to £825.6m, which the London-listed company put down to cost hikes being passed down to customers amid rising inflation in the UK. Despite inflation [...]
Ofwat hikes water bills for businesses December 15, 2022 Business customers face a 6.4 per cent hike to their dual water and wastewater bills, confirmed watchdog Ofwat
RCN union boss warns of more strikes as nurses walk-out for first time in 100 years December 15, 2022 Nurses across Britain will go on strike today, as the dispute over fair pay continues. The walk-out will impact operations at 44 NHS trusts in the country, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London – at the busiest time of year for the NHS. Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union voted [...]